Feed-gage for printing-presses.



Nu. 7I2,I98. v Pafented Oct. 28, I902.-

E.' l.'. MEGILL, FEED GAGE FOR PBiNTING PB ESSES.

' (Application filed-Feb. 21', 1902.) (Nu Model.) ZSheetw-Shdet I.

| j I M Patented Oct. 28, I902. E-. L. MEGILL. S FEED GAGE FOB PRINTING PRESSES.

(Application filed Feb. 21, 1902.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

INVEN TOR WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD L. MEGILL, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

FEED-GAGE FOR PRINTING-PRESSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 712,198, dated October 28, 1902.

Application filed February 21, 1902. Serial No. 95,031. (No model.) I

.To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, EDWARD L. MEGILL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed-Gages for Printing-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the class of feed guides and gages for the proper placing of the sheet on the platen of the press, of which class the gage described in the United States Patent No. 596,214, granted to me on December 28, 1897, is one example. The purpose of the device is, in the main, to provide means for automatically placing properly a misplacedsheet through the medium of a gripper on the press. In my pending application, Serial No. 77,357, filed October 3, 1901, I show and describe a feed-gage also belonging to this class and having some features like those in the gage device of this application. In a gage device of this class there is a base-plate secured on the platen, a sliding gage mounted on said base-plate, a spring for retracting the sliding gage, and a hinged arm normally upheld by the spring in an inclined position and adapted to be impinged upon by the gripper when the platen moves up to the form, thereby moving the head of the sliding gage up to the gage line or point on the platen. This is a feature common to automatic gages of this class and is embodied in the gage device of the present application. One of the novel features of the present device is, however, an auxiliary means or device whereby the gripper is made to act more slowly and gradually on the sliding gage than in the device of my said patent.

Another feature of the present device is the construction whereby the sliding gage may be moved laterally about a center or pivotal point, so as to permit a heel on the gagehead to be inserted in a slit in the platensheet and an improvement in the retainer by which the gage device is seen red to the platen or platen-sheet.

In the accompanying drawings, which serve to illustrate my invention, Figure l is a plan of the flattened gage device,showing in dotted lines the position of the gripper thereon. Fig. 2 is a plan of the gage device with the'upper ing gage.

device with the sliding gage and spring broken.

away. Fig. 5 is a perspective fragmentary view showing the rocking guide for the slid- Fig. 6 is an under side view of the retaining-plate. Fig. 7 is a transversesection through one of the clamping devices of the gage. Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the gage device. Fig. 9 is a fragment of the end of the arched spring. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the gage detached. Fig. 11 is a general view of a platen of a printing-press, showing the grippers and agage device mounted on the platen. I

In Fig. 11 X designates the platen of a printing-press, Y the grippers thereof, and Z the tympan-sheet, stretched over the platen in the usual way and by the usual means. All of these parts are common in platen printingpresses and will require no special description.

S represents a sheet on the platen in position to be printed upon, the proper positioning of the sheet on the platen with respect to the form being secured ordinarily by a side gage or guide (usually at the left) and two front or bottom gages. In Fig. 11 the two front gages are designated as a whole by B B. They maybe of any approved kind.

The side guide or gage device which embodies the present invention is designated as a whole by A. The specific construction of this gage deviceAwill now be described with reference especially to Figs. 1 to 5. This class of devices, sometimes called automatic sheetguides or setters, .are made from thin metal, so that when the gripper, which bears upon the device at the time the impression is made and flattens down the parts, will not be elevated appreciably. This device includes as old features .a base-plate, screw clamping devices to clamp said plate adjustably to a retainer which is to be secured to the platen or tympan-sheet, an operating-arm hingedto the base-plate and extending across the path of the gripper, a broad archedresilient spring also hinged to mounted to slide in guideways on the baseplate under said spring and movable transversely of the longitudinal axis of the gripper, said gage having an upwardly-curved gage-head and being coupled to the spring, so that when the latter is flattened it advances the gage and when it recovers its curvature by its resiliency it retracts the gage.

In the drawings, 1 is the base-plate, preferably made of sheet metal and of the contour seen in Fig. 2.

2 is the broad operating-arm, hinged in lugs 3 on the base-plate. Under and normally upholding the said arm is the broad arched spring 4, of thin spring metal, which is also hinged to the base-plate and independently of the plate 2. Under the spring and on the base-plate is pivotally mounted a rocking guide 5 for the sliding gage. This guide is pivoted at 5, Fig. 5, on the baseplate and is capable of swinging laterally about said pivot for reasons that will be here: inafter explained. In the guide 5 is mounted the sliding gage 6. (Seen detached and in plan in Fig. 10.) The body of the gage (which is made of thin sheet metal) slides in the guide 5, and it has a head 6, called the gage-head, the extremity 6 of which is T-shaped and curves upward, as best seen in Fig. 8. Being thin, springy, and resilient, this gage-head may be flattened down by the gripper; but when the pressure is removed it will spring up again. As the T- head 6" is normally quite elevated, when the sheet S is placed edgewise against it there is no danger of the sheet getting over the gagehead even though somewhat wrinkled. The purpose is to have the sheet take under the inner prong on the T-head, so that when the gripper flattens the gage down this prong (see Fig. 1) will extend in over the sheet S.

The broad arched resilient spring 4 operates the gage 6. This spring has in its front end, Fig. 9, a small aperture 4., which is engaged by a prong 6, Fig. 10, on the gage, so that when the spring is distended by flattening it advances the gage 6, and when it recovers its arched form (seen in Figs. 3 and 7) it retracts the gage. In order to prevent the sheet S from getting under the gagehead at the heel 6 thereof, this heel is made to engage a slit 5 in the tympan-sheet, as seen in Fig. 1. When the gage-head moves in and out over the tympan, this heel plays in the slot, as shown in my former patent. Now the object of the rocking guide 5 is to permit the gage 6 to be turned laterally about the pivot 5 to an extent sufficient to allow the heel 6 to be inserted in the slot 2 after the gage device shall have been set in place on the platen. This does not impair the correct setting of the gage-head up to the gage line or point, as the broad spring 4: when flattened down is rigid laterally and holds the gage-head firmly and steadily in its proper position on the tympan-sheet.

The clamping devices, of which there are two, consist each of a thin flat disk or plate 7, provided with an upright screw-stem 8 to receive a thin milled nut 9. The screw-stem 8 passes upwardly through a hole in the base-plate.

The retainer 10 will be of metal or thelike and of the form seen in Fig. 6. This retainer will be quite thin and have cross recesses or channels 10 formed in its under side to receive the plates 7 of the clamping devices and elongated apertures 10 for the passage of the screw-stems 8. The raised parts of the retainer formed by the bending of the plate to produce the cross-recesses project out to the front in order to furnish material in which to form the apertures 10", and in order to allow these extensions to be readily depressed slits 10 are formed to separate them from the adjacent end parts 10*, which project out still farther. In applying the retainer to the platen or tympansheet paste or the like is applied to the surfaces of the parts 10 and also to the surface of the intermediate part 10". The base-plate may be clamped to the retainer 10 normally, and when the latter is secured to the tympan-sheet the base-plate can be adjusted on the retainer and then set fast thereon by the clamping devices.

It is found that when the platen of a press closes up to the form and the gripper moves up to the platen the gripper does not impinge upon the arm 2 until the press is nearly closed, and in consequence the movement of the sliding gage under the influence of the gripper is unduly rapid. To obviate this defect and cause the gripper to begin its operation sooner, so that it may depress the spring 4 gradually, means are provided which will now be described with especial reference to Figs. 1, 3, and 11.

On the back or upper side of the arm 2, near its hinging-point, is mounted a bar 11, provided near its end with an arm 12, which projects laterally from the bar and across the path of the gripper. This arm 12 performs a function similar to that of the arm 2, in that by the pressure of the gripper thereon the arm 2 and spring 4 are depressed precisely as they would be if the gripper bore directly on the arm 2; but as in its operation the gripper impinges almost from the beginning of its movement on the arm 12 it will be obvious that the movements of the gage 6 will be much slower than where the whole movement of the gage is confined to the terminal portion only of the movement of the gripper.

In order that the bar 11 may be readily removable from the arm 2 and that the arm 12 may be put into the path of the gripper at different distances from the gage, the bar 11 is mounted slidably in a guideway formed on the arm 2 by keepers 13 and 13 and a nick or recess 11 is formed in the edge of the bar 11 of such length that when this recess is brought to register with the keeper 13 the bar 11 may be disengaged from the guideway.

The relative positions of the gripper and the gage device on the platen will vary somewhat with the conditions arising in printing.

movement of bar 11 in its guideway, it may.

have a leaf-spring 14 under it, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. This is a common device to accomplish the object sought, and other known devices for the purpose may be employed as well.

It will be noted that the bar 11 extends longitudinally parallel with the surface of the platen and that the arm 12 thereon projects inwardly toward the middle of the platen, so that the gripper, which is designed ordinarily to take over the sheet to be printed, will always impinge upon it. The arm l2lis normally inclined to the surface of the platen and when impinged upon by the gripper the depression of the arm rocks the bar 11 and through it depresses the arm 2. One important advantage arising from this construction of the detachable bar 11 is the facility it at fords for shifting the gage device to the righthand side of the platen, as is sometimes required. In this case it is only necessary to remove the bar 11, turn it over, and place it again in the guideway on the arm 2;

Having thus described my invention, I

claim- 1. An automatic registering-gage device having a slidable gage, a hinged arm and spring for operating said gage, and a bar connected with said hinged arm, and adapted to extend toward the lower edge of the platen, said bar being provided with a laterally-extending arm adapted to project toward the center of the platen and across the path of a gripper set to takeover a sheet on the platen, and the head of said slidable gage being elastically depressible so that it may be pressed down fiat by the said gripper, substantially gripper acts thereon is prolonged, substantially as set forth.

3. In a gage device, the combination with a base-plate, a gage mounted slidably thereon, an arched, resilient spring connected to said gage fonoperating it, and an operatingarm over-said spring for flattening it, of a bar mounted on the said operating-arm and extending parallel with the base-plate and transversely of the path of the slidable gage, said bar being provided with an arm which extends laterally from thebar into the path of the gripper and is normally inclined with respect to the platen, and means for varying the distance between said arm and the gage, substantially as set forth.

4. In a gage device, the combination with a base-plate, a gage mounted slidably thereon, an operating-arm hinged to the base-plate, and means between the gage and said arm whereby depression of the latter actuates the gage, of the bar 11, mounted adjustably in keepers on the operating-arm and extending parallel with the platen and-transversely of the path of the gage, said bar being provided with an inclined arm 12 which projects laterally and inwardly into the path of the gripper, substantially as and for the purposes set forthl 5. A gage device havinga base-plate, asliding gage mounted thereon, an arm 2 hinged to said base-plate, means between said arm and the gage whereby the depression and ele- 1 vation of the arm actuatesthe gage, and a bar 11 mounted removably on said arm 2, whereby it may be removed and reversed, said bar being provided with an arm 12 which is normally inclined to the surface of the platen, substantially as set forth.

6. A gage device having a base-plate, a rocking guide 5 mounted pivotally thereon, and a sliding gage mounted therein, said gage having a gage-head provided with a heel to play in a slotin the tympan-sheet, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. A gage device having a'base-plate, a sliding gage mounted thereon and having a lateral motion at its head, said gage having a heel to engage a slit in the tympan, means for operating said gage, and means for holding it against lateral movement when advanced, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with a gage device having clamping devices for securing it adjustably to a retainer, of a flexible sheet-metal retainer having cross-recesses in its under side formed by bending the sheet, the parts at said recesses being apertured to receive the clamping devices, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination with a gage device having clamping devices for securing it adj ustably to a retainer, of a flexible sheet-metal retainer bent to form cross recesses and elevated portions, said elevated portions having in them apertures to receive the clamping devices and projecting toform depressible extensions, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination with a gage device having clamping devices to secure it to a retainer, of the said retainer 10, made from a thin sheet of hard material with channels 1O formed on its under side by bends in the material, said retainer having apertures 1O at said channels to receive the clamping-screws, and slits 10 to separate the elevated portions from depressed end portions, substantially as set forth.

11. The combination with a gage device having clamping devices to secure it to a retainer, of the said retainer, formed from thin, flexible sheet metal having depressed portions to rest on the tympan and receive paste or the like for securing the retainer in place, and apertures in the parts not depressed to receive the screws of the clamping devices.

12. An automatic gage device having a sliding gage and abar for operating same through the gripper of the press, said bar having a lateral arm to receive the gripper, and being reversibly connected to the gage device whereby the latter may be operated from either side of the platen. I

13. In a gage device for a platen printingpress, the combination with a base-plate, of a gage mounted thereon having a body and an elastic or spring-like head, said head being curved upward from said body to an extent less than ninety degrees, so that it may be flattened down without folding on itself, and having a heel alined with it and adapted to traverse a slot in the tympan.

ing devices for securing said base-plate in place, and a gage having its body slidably mounted on said base-plate, said gage having a spring-like head disposed at an angle to its body and curved upward at one end through an angle of less than ninety degrees, the elevated extremity thereof having a lip or part which projects out laterally to take over the sheet in printing and the lower extremity thereof havingaheel alined with it and adapted to engage a slot in the tympan.

15. A gage for platen printing-presses having a body and an elastic or spring-like head provided with a branch which curves upward normally, said curved branch having at its free end a part which projects laterally and rearwardly from said branch, whereby the gripper may take over it in depressing the said curved branch at its rear.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 20th day of February, 1902, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD L. MEGILL.

Witnesses:

PETER A. Ross, HENRY CONNETT. 

